Brick-machine.



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PATENTED MAR.. 5, 1907.

1 H. L. HIX.

BRICK MACHINE. APPLICATION I-I LED `sEPT. 8, 1 906.

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Not 845,872.

H. L. HIX. BRICK MACHINE. APPLoATIoN FILED sEPT.s.19oe.

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www M.. bin /l No. 845,872. Y lPATENTE) MAR. 5, 1907.

H. L. IIIX. BRICK MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 8,1906.

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PATBNTBD MAR. 5,1907. 1

. H. L. HIX.

BRICK MACHINE.' APPLICATION FILED SEPT, 8.1906.

HOWARD L. HIX, OF FRANKFORT, INDIANA.

BRICK-MACHINE.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

' Patented March 5, 1907.

Application filed September 8, 1906. Serial No. 333,789.

To @ZZ whom, it may cancel/'71,:

Be it known that I, HOWARD L. Hrx, a citizen of the United States, residing at Frankfort, in the county of Clinton and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brick-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

In the production of clay articles, such as from the snout 24 of the mill 25.

bricks, a column of clay having a width and thickness corresponding to two dimensions of the desired articles is ejectedfrom the mill in a continuous stream or column and the speed of ejection is dependent not so much upon the speed of operation of the moving parts of the mill as upon the condition of the clay and the amount of such clay in the mill at a given time. The rigidity of the clay column also varies almost continuously as it is ejected from the mill and care has to be exercised in cutting the column into desired lengths not to subject it to a retarding force of sufficient amount to stove it, nor to pull upon it with a suflicient force to pull it in two or to stretch it so as to reduce its width or thickness.

The object of my present invention is to produce an automatic cutting mechanism driven in part by the moving clay column and in part by external power, the application ofthe power of the moving column being such as to maintain the cutting mechanism in proper synchronism with the movement of the clay column and made at a point close to the point of its ejection from the mill, while the application of the external power is through a yielding connection, preventing the application of an excess of power needed at any given moment.

rlhe accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a plan of my improved cutter; Fig. 1a, aplan, on a smaller scale, of the righthand end of the machine shown in Fig. 1,) together with a plan of the columnforming mill, which mill may be of any desired construction; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, an elevation of the side opposite to that shown 1n Fig. 2; Fig. 4, an elevation of the delivery end of the cutter; Fig. 5, a section, on an enlarged scale, on line 5 5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6, a section, on an enlarged scale, on line 6 6 of Fig. 5 Fig. 7, an end elevation of the central drum, whichcarries the inner ends of the cutting-wires; Fig. 8, an elevation of all of the parts shown in Fig. 7, the cam-drum, however, being shown in dotted lines; Fig. 9, a detail, on a smaller scale, on line 9 9 of Fig. 6; Fig. 10, a perspective detail of the cutting-table, and Fig. 11 an elevation of cam 40.

In the drawings, 2O indicates a supportingframe carrying a series of rollers 21, over which runs an endless-belt carrier 22, adapted to receive the column of clay 23, eject-ed The carrierbelt 22 passes around-a pulley 26 at the receiving end of the machine and around the pulley 27 at the discharging end of frame 20. immediately in front of pulley 27, on a level with the adjacent portion of carrier 22, is a pair of rollers 28, adapted to receive and support the column 23, said rollers 28 being mounted in an oil-bath 29 in the usual wellknown manner.

Arranged in alinement with the rollers 28 is a cutting-table 30, upon which the column 23 is projected. Table 30 is supported by a frame 31, in which is journaled a shaft 32, which lies parallel with the line of movement of the column 23. Shaft 32 carries a drum 33, provided' with a plurality of longitudinal grooves 34, in each of which is mounted a sliding head 35, capable of sliding parallel with the axis of shalt 32, such movement being facilitated by suitable ball-bearings 36. Each head 35 carries a hook 37, to which is secured the inner end of a cutter-wire 38. The stem of each hook 37 is provided with a roller 37', adapted to travel in a cam-groove 40', extending circumlerentiall y around in a drum 40, which incloses drum 33, and held against rotation by suitable connections 4l. to the frame 31.

In order to carry the outer ends of the cutting-wires 38, I provide a gear-ring 45, supported for rotation in a frame 31 by means of rollers 46, which run in a circumferential -groove 45', formed in the ring 45. Ring 45 carries a series or' guide-heads 47, one for each of the cuttingw ires 38, and mounted in each of these guide-heads is a slide 48, yieldingly urged in one direction by means o.- a spring 48. Each slide 48 carries a hook 49, through which a cutting-wire 38 may be carried, the outer end or' said wire being connected to a hook 50, carried by a plunger 51, yieldingly urged by a spring 52 in a direction to maintain the cutting-u` ire in tension. rlhe plunger 51 and spring 52 are carried in a casing 53, which is pivotally supported eccentrically on an adjusting-head 54,

` pivoted upon an arm 55, carried by the slidey IOO IIO

48. The pivotal support for the casing 53 is parallel with the axis of the head 54, so that by shijting head 54 upon its axis the casing 53 may be carried toward or away lrom hook 49, and thus adjust the tension of spring 52 upon the cutting-wire.h Each slide 48 is adapted during a portion or' its revolution with ring 45 to engage a stationary cam 60, supported by trame 31. The cam 60 is so arranged that each et the slides 48 will be moved in the direction of movement or the clay column and at the same speed during the time when its cutting-wire is passing through its cutting movement. This cam 6() may be adjusted by means of the adjustingscrew 60.

The inner ends of the cutting-wires are simultaneously moved by the rollers 37, passing through an inclined portion 40 or the cam-groove 40. In order to permit the passage of wires 38, the cutting-table 30 is provided with a transverse slot 61, and in order to ferm an abutment tor the clay stream and the cutting-wires I arrange a guard 62, the rear inner vertical edge 62 thereof being so shaped as to conform' accurately to the path of movement of the cutting-wire as it revolves about the axis of shalt 32 and simultaneously moves forward with the column ol? clay. The edge 62 thus insures one smooth square face on each brick.

The cutting mechanism must be driven in exact synchronism with the clay column, and in order to do this it is necessary to connect the clay column with the cutting mechanism; but such connection must be or such character that it will not ofl'er su'l'licient resistance to the column to stove it. The clay column is rarely et such consistency as to be capable ol' sustaining the entire load of the cutting mechanism, and it is therefore necessary to provide a supplemental or external source oli power for assisting in driving the cutting mechanism, and the chief feature of my invention resides in the manner or' applying this supplemental power in such manner that it cannot operate to drive the cutting mechanism too rapidly nor to act upon the clay column in such manner as to stove it or separate it. To accomplish these results, l make the pulley 26 of considerable diameter and locate it very close to the delivery end oll the snout 24, so that the clay column rests upon this wheel very close to the point otl its ejection lrom the snout, thereby being capable of applying its maximum torce to the wheel without buckling. Arranged in iirictional contact with wheel 26 is a very much smaller friction-wheel 70, carried by a sha'lit71, supported in adjustable brackets 72. The shart 71 carries a gear 73, which meshes with the gear 74, carried by a shaft 75, which is extended l'orward to trame 31. Shaft 75 carries a gear'76, which meshes with the gear-ring 45, and also carries a gear 77, meshing with the gear 78, carried by shaft 79, which lshaft carries a gear 80, meshing with a gear 81, carried by shaft 82. lhe shat 82 carries a gear 83, which meshes vv ith a gear 84, carried by shaft 32. The driving-train thus de scribed from. wheel 7D to shat 32 and ring 45 is such as to drive ring 45 and shalt 32 in unison and at such speed relative to the travel el" the wheel 26 (and consequently the clay column 23) as to bring the cutting-u ires 38 into the clay column at desired intervals, these intervals being dependent upon the size or wheel relative to wheel 26. The snpplemental or external driving Yforce is also applied to the gear-ring 45 and shaft 32, but must be connected in some manner to wheel 70 or wheel 26, and this may be accomplished in a considerable number olI ways. ln the drawings the train of the supplemental power consists el a shaft 180, connected to the main shaft 181 of the mill 25. Shaft 180 carries a gear 182, meshing with a gear 183 ol the shart 184, which sha'gt is provided with a belt-pulley 184', adapted to receive belt 85. The belt 85 passes over a pulley 86', carried by a shaft 86, and the shaft 86 carries a gear 86, meshing with the gear 87, carried by shaft 75. Belt 85 is held in driving engagement with the two pulleys 184 and 86 by means et an idler 88, carried by a lever 90, provided with weights 9]., by means ol which the amount ofpower transmitted from pulley 184 to pulley 86 may be accurately determined and limited.

The operation is as follows: The clay column 23 as it is ejectedf'rom the snout 24 comes almost immediately inte engagement with belt 22 and lies upon wheel 26, and as the wheel 26 is of considerable diameter and the clay column between said wheel and the snout is very short the column is capable of exerting a considerable 'force upon the wheel 26 without probability of injury to itself. At the same time shalt 75 and the cutting mechanism are driven both by the action of'wheel 70 and the supplemental driving mechanism acting through belt 85. Vhen the forward end of the clay column reaches the cuttingtable, the wires 38 will be brought successively into and through the column, the cams 40 and 60 serving to move said cuttingwires along with the column during the cutting movement. lt the column is being ejected slowly from the snout 24, the supplemental power, being excessive, tends to drive the cutting mechanism too rapidly and also tends to drive wheel 26 more rapidly than the column, and if this were permitted the column would be pulled in two at a point between the snout-and the highest part of the wheel 26. Such an action, however, is prevented by reason of the fact that belt is only yieldingly held in engagement withy its pulleys and is therefore incapable of transmitting an excessive amount of power, the

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tenacity of the clay operating, through wheel 26 and wheel 70,- as a brake on the supplemental power. On the other hand,.if thev clay column is being ejected rapidly it is not called upon to carry the extra load of the more rapidly moving cutting mechanism, and therefore there can be no stoving of the clay column between the snout and wheel 26. After the cutting mechanism has cut the clay-stream into bricks 92, said bracks are delivered to a carrier 93 in the usual wellknown manner, said carrier moving at a slightly-higher speed than the clay-stream, so that the bricks are spaced as shown at the left of Fig. 2.

It will be seen that by the above method the clay-stream is continuously in motion,

and the cutting mechanism operates thereon during motion, the cutting-wires being externally driven with the clay-stream during the time of cutting, so as to make a square cut. It will also be seen that by no possibility can the clay-stream become distorted in any of its dimensions.

I claim as my invention-- 1. In a clay-cutter, the combination, with a receiver for a clay column, of cutting mechanism comprising a main rotatable body rotating in a plane iixed relative to the line of movement ofthe clay-column, a cutter carried by said rotatable body, supporting means l or said cutter permitting movement thereotl longitudinally of the clay column, and means for positively moving said means in synchronism with the travel of the clay column during its traverse through cutting position, a driving connection between the cutting mechanism consisting in part of an initial member engaged by the clay column near its initial end, a source of supplemental power, driving connections between said supplemental power and the cutting mechanism, a governor automatically preventing the application of an excess ot' supplemental power, and a pair of trictionally-engaging members forming a part of the driving connection between the cutting mechanism and the initial member engaged by the clay column.

2. In a clay-cutter, the combination, with a receiver tor the clay column, of a rotatable ring en( ircling said receiver and mounted to rotate in a fixed plane relative to the line of movement of the clay column, a cutter-wire, axially-movable slides `for supporting the ends of said wire, and means for automatically shifting said slides to carry the cutterwire in the direction of movement of the clay column.

3. In a clay-cutter, the combination, with a receiver for the clay column, of a rotatable ring encircling said receiver and mounted to rotate 1n a iixed plane relative to the line ci movement ci the clay column, a cutter-wire, axially-movable slides for supporting the ends of said wire, means for' automatically shifting said slides to carry the cutter-wire in the direction of movement of the clay column, and means for holding said wire under tension.

4t. In a clay-cutter, the combination, with a receiver for the clay column, of a rotatable ring ent ircling said receiver and mounted to rotate in a fixed plane relative to the line of movement of the clay column, a cutter-wire, axially-movable slides for supporting the ends of said wire, means Jfor automatically shifting said slides to carry the cutter-wire in the direction of movement of the clay column, a spring connected to one end of said cutterwire for holding the same under tension, and means for adjusting the tension of said spring.

5. In a clay-cutter, the combination, with a receiver for the clay column, of a rotatable ring encircling said receiver and mounted to rotate in a iixed plane relative to the line of movement of the clay column, a cutterwire, axially-movable slid es for supporting the ends of said wire, means for automatically shifting said slides to carry the cutter-wire in the direction of movement of the clay column, a spring connected to one end of said cutterwire, a casing for said spring, a rotatable adjusting member for said casing, and an eccentric pivotal connection between said adjusting member and casing.

6. In a clay-cutter, the combination, with a iixed receiver for a clay column, of a ring encircling said receiver, a slide carried by said ring and movable axially thereof, means for yieldingly urging said slide in one direction, a detlector for engaging said slide as it is revolved with the ring and shitting the same in the opposite direction, a rotatable drum arranged at the axis of the ring, a slide carried by said drum and axially movable thereof, a cam for shitting said slide axially as it is revolved with the drum, a cutter-wire having an end attached to each of the aforesaid slides, and means for simultaneously rotating the drum and ring at the same speed.

7. In a clay-cutter, the combination, with a iixed receiver for a clay column, of a ring encircling said receiver, a slide carried by said ring and movable axially thereof, means for yieldingly urging said slide in one direction, a detlector for engaging said. slide as it is revolved with the ring and shifting the same in the opposite direction, a rotatable drum arranged at the axis of the ring, a slide carried by said drum and axially movable thereof, a cam for shifting said slide axially as it is revolved with the drum, a cutter-wire having an end attached to each of the aforesaid slides, means tor simultaneously rotating the drum and ring at the same speed, and tension means carried by one of said slides and forming the connection for the adjacent end oi' the cutter-wire.

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.lIO

IIS

8f.A Im a, elftyeurdter.;` the.'y Combination, el"

a; column. fecelrel"and4 cutting mechanism,

ofla Wll'eelof considerable diameterfadapted A tol receive.` a: clay eolumnegt` 2v point adjawenty 5 its forming end, a smaller Wheel'frctonally` engaging saidirstmentoned Wheel, a driving-twain beiwveensad smaller Wheel amflthev cutting; meehanism'-, anV externally.- driven driven. and aetonal. connectionY between.

l hemd and v seal, at" FrankforQIndana', this: Std yday'of September, AMD'. 1906.v

HOWARD L. H'IXL Witnesses:

ERNEST LANGEHA-KE,k JAMESA HURST.. 

